Twisted Wonderland
by Cowgrl94
Summary: "No, no, you don't have to be named Alice to be Alice. See I'm named Wally, as you know, but here I'm the Hatter and here you're my Alice therefore you're The Alice, follow?" "But where is 'here?" "Babe, this is Wonderland, didn't you know?" Maybe a burning building was too much too soon after Wally had just ceased...
1. Down you go

**I had the sudden urge a few days ago to watch Disney's _Alice in Wonderland _and then today I watched Tim Burton's _Alice in Wonderland. _Then I remembered how Artemis gets compared to Alice by Jade and stuff and then things just started appearing in my head and that's how this story was born.**

**Disclaimer - I own neither Young Justice nor Alice in Wonderland. Basically, if you recognize something, it's probably not mine.**

**Enjoy**

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Of course it had to be raining. Last week it had been a blizzard in Gotham City, and now, as a mugger tried to stab her, it had to be a rain storm in Starr City. Artemis gave a disgruntled snort and with a swift kick to the gut, downed her opponent. Tossing a wet lock out of her eyes, she aimed a Tigress flare into the sky, rain drops slapping against her mask and dripping into her eyes. She pulled the trigger and orange lit up the sky, calling the Starr City Police Department to the unconscious body at her feet.

"Good work here, Tigress."

Artemis clipped her crossbow to her belt and fixed her steely grey eyes on the figure leaning against the ally dumpster.

"Stop checking up on me, Kaldur," Artemis growled, her eyes becoming angry slits. "I'm a big girl. I can survive a simple patrol."

"I check in on _everybody_, Tigress, not just you." Kaldur followed her up out of the ally, sirens already heard in the distance. Artemis was very careful to avoid the police; they still had trust issues with Tigress. Aqualad tossed himself up nimbly the rest of the fire escape steps to catch Artemis already on the roof of the neighboring building. He sighed and jogged to catch up to her, wondering if maybe she was sprinting to escape him. He eventually caught up to her a few buildings over, the rain making her appear much more menacing.

"Of course," she stated dryly. "You check on me a little more than everybody else."

Aqualad met her gaze and there was a tense moment, both of them knowing she was right.

"We lost Wally, Artemis," the Atlantean said so quietly it almost blended into the shout of the rain. "Don't let it take all of you."

Artemis inhaled sharply, anger and pain running through her. There was a sudden explosion a few blocks down, cutting off her angry retort. Aqualad was the first to react.

"Tigress, we must make sure the building is evacuated!"

Artemis nodded curtly and the pair began running to the burning building. Artemis focused on the building and the harsh rain was pushed to the back of her mind. When the duo reached the building, which was burning brightly even with the thick rain, there were people screaming, phoning the police, and running out of the building. Artemis and Kaldur didn't hesitate or stop; they hurled themselves into the burning building and began ushering families out. By the time the police and fire department had arrived, Aqualad was waiting outside handing a little girl to her family and Artemis pushed the last two people completely out of the building. Aqualad made his way over to Artemis and both heroes watched the fire department begin to hose the building down. The rain was still coming down hard and everyone was frustrated by the lack of change in the fire. The fire marshal gestured to Aqualad, shooting a dubious look at Artemis in her Tigress uniform.

"Apparently, Tigress is still not trusted."

"I'm working on it." Artemis shrugged. Truth was she was okay with people avoiding Tigress. She didn't think she could handle any teary eyed 'thank you's. Not yet. Aqualad put a comforting hand on her shoulder, nodded, and made his way over to the fire marshal. That's when Artemis saw it, a blurred shadow darting about on the third floor. She blinked and squinted through the rain. She saw it again, on the second floor this time.

"Aqualad! There is still someone inside!" She shouted, already darting off to the burning building again. She weaved her way through the firemen trying to stop her.

"Tigress, no! There is…!" Aqualad's voice was drowned out by the roaring fire. Artemis coughed at the thick smoke, astounded by the strength of the fire despite the rain storm outside. It was like a different world…

A darting shadow jerked Artemis into movement again and she hopped over what was left of a burning chair and ducked a curtain of flame as she followed the shadow through a door frame. Her eyes started watering as the smoke prickled them and her throat felt sore from the heat.

"Hello?" She coughed again. The shadow wavered before taking off again up a set of stairs at the back of the building. Without thinking, Artemis began to run up the stairs. She got to a second floor corridor and as soon as her foot touched the smoking carpet, something snapped and Artemis found herself falling fast, screaming all the way down. Something hard hit her head and the world went black.

The next time she opened her eyes there was a peeved white rabbit in a blue waist coat looking down at her scornfully. He glanced at the gold pocket watch in his paw before looking back at her and saying:

"You're late."

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	2. Rabbit in a Waist Coat

**Disclaimer - see previous chapter**

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Artemis blinked a few times, but the white rabbit was still hovering over her, frowning. He shook the pocket watch in her face and stomped his foot.

"Did you hear me? You're late! Late! He is very impatient, you know. In fact you should know. You are Alice!"

The white rabbit began to hop by her head. Artemis closed her eyes and groaned, dragging her hands down her maskless face. She took a deep breath and slowly rolled over to her side. The rabbit pulled her hair and tweaked her nose, still hopping back and forth.

"Why are you so slow, Alice? You should move quicker than this, of course not as quick as me or him, but still quicker than this. Don't be _sluggish_, Alice!"

Artemis sat up all the way and arched her back to get the cracks out and she felt the uncomfortable feeling of her insides squirming to position. She opened her eyes, jumping at the close proximity the rabbit felt was necessary. She put a finger to his pink nose and gently pushed him back. The white rabbit started thumping his foot rapidly, his nose twitching so much she was afraid it would pop right off. Artemis looked around, but all she saw was an empty room with plaster walls, cracks running up, down and side to side. A flickering lamp dimly lit up a dusty, moth-eaten curtain not that far from where she sat now.

"Are you done, Alice? Don't just sit there, Alice! Do something!" The white rabbit had sat back on his haunches and crossed his front limbs. Artemis stared at him mutely. The thumping started up again. "Well now you're just proving the caterpillar right! You are turning out rather stupid, Alice."

"My name is _not Alice_, and I'm not _stupid_." Artemis glowered. The white rabbit looked at her exasperated.

"Of course your name is not _Alice_. I never said your _name_ was Alice, I said you _are_ Alice." The rabbit rolled his eyes. Artemis opened her mouth to argue how little sense that made (even though she had a talking rabbit in a waist coat in front of her, being considered 'Alice' was so much more bizzare) when he clambered into her lap pouring a burning liquid down her throat. "Now be quiet and drink up. You are too large to go through the door. No don't cough it up, you stupid girl! Ouch!"

Artemis tossed the rabbit across the room, rolling onto her hands and knees, coughing and spluttering. Her Tigress masked caught her eye and she reached for it as a sudden cold feeling pierced her body. The white rabbit bounded over and slapped her hand away from the mask.

"No you won't need that, Alice! Oh I hope you swallowed enough. You shouldn't have started spitting it out, now you're choking and he'll be so angry if you are handed to him harmed." The rabbit scolded her, shaking his paw at her.

"What did you give me?" She gasped out. The room was steadily growing larger as was the rabbit. Then all of a sudden, the cold sensation stopped and warmth spread through her body. She breathed air in heavily, her blonde hair forming curtains around her face.

"Well now you're the perfect size, Alice. Up you go." A furry paw seized her by her arm, hauling her to her feet. Artemis looked at the rabbit that was now the same size she was…or was it that she was now the same size he was? He looked her over and nodded matter-of-factly. "Yes, just the right amount, I'm always right."

Artemis stared at him bewildered as he took out his pocket watch again.

"Late! We're _late_. You're rather troublesome, you know that, Alice?" Paw still on her arm, the white rabbit began to drag her to the curtain. "I've never been late before I got sent to fetch you. Imagine! A respectable rabbit like myself having to _fetch_ a sloppy, human girl like you! If my mother saw what he's cast me down to do…oh it makes my ears twitch. Here we are!"

Listening to the rabbit ramble, Artemis was torn between frustration at being called 'Alice', insulted by his demeaning tone, and laughing at the absolute absurdity of the whole situation. Artemis watched as he hooked the curtain's bottom to the side, revealing a wooden door with scorch marks. The white rabbit took a key out of his waist coat and opened the door, muttering under his breath all the while. Artemis took the opportunity to ask some questions.

"Where am I? Who are you? What is this place? Who's 'he'? Why do you keep calling me Alice when you know my name isn't Alice? Where are we going?"

He threw open the wooden door and stuffed the key back into his pocket. A bright light blinded Artemis, effectively stopping her tirade of questions.

"You ask too many questions, Alice. They will be answered all in good time. Now come, come! We are _very_ behind schedule." He wrapped his paw around her arm and heaved her through to the bright light. Artemis heard a heavy 'thud' and knew the door was officially shut. Even if she wasn't being harassed by a white rabbit in a waist coat, there was nowhere else to go but forward. As she turned to look behind her, there was no door, just empty space.

"We must get going. Everyone will want to meet you and we have a long way to go." The rabbit started to lope forward, forcing Artemis to follow at a jog if she didn't wish to get lost. She kept a hand tangled into his fur as she ran just behind him. Artemis looked at what scenery there was around her. It seemed trees were the size of castles here (wherever 'here' was) and flowers the size trees (not to mention, she swore the flowers were whispering to each other), mushrooms were either large enough to shade her path or small enough for her to sit comfortably on. She kept her eyes wide and her head roving from side to side, trying to keep up with his loping pace while taking in as much as she could. In fact, she was so preoccupied by her multitasking she tumbled to her hands and knees when the rabbit came to a halt. He looked down at her, 'tsking' at her clumsiness. Artemis refrained from making any rude comments as she dusted herself off.

"I thought we were late," she muttered. The rabbit, with his large ears cocked her way, heard her.

"We _are_ late. By three minutes to be exact." He sat back and looked down at her. The blonde hero crossed her arms and jutted her chin out stubbornly.

"Big deal. I'm late by three minutes all the time and nothing has happened yet." She glowered up at him. His nose began twitching furiously again.

"You-!"

"You're _late_, Mr. Rabbit! You're never late!"

The white rabbit drew in a breath, tearing away his gaze from the stubborn woman before him to the mouse running up to them. "Ah, Leonard. Yes, I'm so very sorry. Alice proved rather…difficult."

He threw a dirty look towards Artemis, and she couldn't help the smirk she tossed back. The mouse looked her over anxiously.

"Are you sure this is the right Alice, Mr. Rabbit?" He whispered loudly to the bigger rodent. Artemis scowled. "He said she smiled a lot. This one seems rather…angry."

The white rabbit gently patted the mouse on the head.

"Yes, Leonard. This is her. I believe she has been under a lot of stress on the human world, it makes for an unhappy Alice."

"She will set things right, then?" The brown mouse continued to stare at Artemis, fiddling with the belt around his shirt.

"I very well hope so, Leonard." Now the rabbit was studying her and she was starting to feel uncomfortable. The hopeful look on the mouse reminded Artemis of an innocence she never quite possessed and it hurt her. There was a brief moment of tense silence. Artemis squirmed, unsure if she was supposed to break it, but Leonard the mouse did it for her.

"Are we to take her to Absolum now, Mr. Rabbit?" Leonard wiggled his little black nose.

"Yes we are. I shall lead our less than merry group to him." The rabbit shot one more look in Artemis' direction before taking off at a much slower pace. Leonard, back on all fours, turned to Artemis anxiously.

"Can I walk with you, then, Alice?"

"My name is _not_ Alice."

"Well of course it isn't, but that doesn't stop you from _being_ Alice."

"That doesn't make any sense and the White Rabbit won't answer any of my questions." Artemis sighed. She began to walk after the rabbit and Leonard trotted beside her.

"Oh it makes all the sense in the world! Don't worry, Alice, Absolum will explain everything, I'm sure of it." He squeaked, his big ears twitching to catch her words. Artemis looked at him.

"Who's Absolum?"

"Who's Absolum?! Why he's absolute! Come on, we are falling behind." Leonard said, picking up his pace.

"What a curiously funny place this is." Artemis sighed, picking up her own pace. If only Wally could see her now.

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	3. Hardly Absolute

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**Disclaimer - go to first chapter**

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After hours of walking, the white rabbit stopped and sat up, sniffing the air. Leonard ran over to the rabbit and said something quietly. Exhausted, and glad for the much needed rest, Artemis trudged over to a small mushroom and threw herself over it with a groan. She was tired, angry, and confused. She had given up asking questions after the mouse had begun speaking in riddles as if they were the plainest thing in the world.

"A raven is not like a writing desk," she mumbled to herself. "Not like a writing desk…how is a raven like a desk? It's not. Such stupid, weird questions…"

"You know, the first step of insanity is talking to yourself," someone drawled. Artemis looked up, ready to snap, and immediately let out a strangled sound at the sight before her. It was a cat. Well, actually, it was just the head of a cat floating upside down with a ridiculously large smile, and yellow eyes glinting with delighted mischief. Artemis flew to her feet, nearly falling off the mushroom. The head was as large as she was and Artemis found herself willing the rabbit to appear as quickly as he had disappeared. The cat seemed to notice her distress and smiled wider. "They went that way, in case you were wondering."

Artemis jumped as his body appeared out of thin air and his head rotated so it was right side up. The cat used his pink stripped tail to indicate the 'that way' he had meant. The blonde hero just stood there, her eyes wide and mouth open. The cat frowned at her lack of action and put his face so close to her his nose touched her uniformed clad belly, pushing her off the mushroom. Artemis gave a shout as she hit the dirt. The cat's head disconnected again with a flick of his tail and zoomed around her.

"Say, what's your name?" He was upside down again and those yellow eyes were peering at her with intense curiosity. When she didn't respond right away, the cat clicked his tongue. "You're not stupid, are you? That would put quite a damper on the whole thing and he spoke so highly of you, too… assuming, of course, that you are the girl everyone is searching for."

"I am _not_ stupid!" Artemis bristled, crossing her arms and stomping her foot. "My name is_ Artemis_, not - !"

"You must be Alice then!" The cat gave a large, excited grin, showing every one of his sharp white teeth. His body bounced over and reconnected with his head. Artemis threw her hands in the air.

"No! Not Alice! Artemis!"

"Just like I'm not a cat, I'm Cheshire and Absolum is absolute. Or to get sane more than insane, you're writing raven is much like a desk that is for writing." The cat bounced about her, his yellow eyes glowing. He reached out a paw and unsheathed his claws. Artemis barely had time to react, when he plucked her up gently and tossed her onto his back. "Up you go, off we go! We must hurry and get you to him. He's mad you know, but then again, aren't we all mad?"

"I'm not crazy, I'm tired and confused!" Artemis tangled her hands into her hair, pulling her blonde locks. The cats' head popped off again and floated before her as the body kept moving forward. The smile was firmly in place and his ears seemed to be directing his body with flicks and wiggles. His smile grew and he started to giggle.

"Oh we've got company! Have you ever seen a rabbit be a crocodile?"

Artemis opened her mouth to say something (she wasn't quite sure what, but she felt this needed a response) when she was cut off.

"Cheshire! Stop! You can't take her!"

The Cheshire Cat winked and Artemis turned to see the white rabbit running after them. He looked disheveled and highly agitated. She felt the cats' body stop, the head still floating by her, looking extremely amused by the whole situation.

"Watch," he whispered to her. The white rabbit slid to a stop, panting hard. The head floated to the rabbit. "Well why can't I take her? You know as well as I where she must be and to whom she must speak. If she gets caught by her we will all have no heads…except me, for I've already lost mine."

"Don't talk nonsense, Cheshire! I know the rules better than you; I've been running them for years. He's different this time around therefore she must be different and her too so we may all keep our heads and you've never had a head! Now give Alice here for she must speak to Absolum."

"Absolum has yet to absolute? How very irresponsible of you, White Rabbit, and the Hare was so looking forward to tea."

"Irresponsible? I was responsible until she decided it was time for a rest! I swear she makes less sense than you do sometimes with her ideals of being late and not being Alice even though she is Alice as much as I am White! Now we must take her to Absolum to have him absolute the absolutely!"

Artemis was so bewildered by the exchange between the rabbit and the head of the cat that she didn't completely register what the cat was saying until the body disappeared from under her, letting her drop to the ground.

"I leave you to your bye's then. Prey you don't get eaten." The cat chuckled at his own pun and began to disappear. Artemis shook her head.

"Wait! Where are you going?" She shouted. The white rabbit cringed, but the cats' head solidified.

"Why, you should know where I am going! Nowhere, everywhere, for that's where the Hatter is…" The cat slowly faded so the only thing left was his wide grin, but in a blink it was gone. Artemis scowled.

"Well, come on, Alice. You've started to push things out of balance here with your lateness." The rabbit gave her a prod with his white paw.

"Where is here?" She huffed. He shook his head and started hopping away, but not before she heard him mutter.

"Mustn't answer her questions, she _is Alice_."

Artemis groaned and started chasing the white rabbit again into a thin fog. As they ran through the fog, Artemis noticed it started to get thicker and eventually realized this wasn't fog, but smoke. She was about to ask when the rabbit stopped where the smoke was coming from. The white rabbit looked at her expectantly and she crept forward, noting that the smoke was coming from a mushroom top.

"This is the girl, Absolum." The rabbit whispered to the mushroom. "Perhaps you could help her see that she is Alice."

The rabbit fell silent and tilted his head, before sticking his paw into his waistcoat pocket again. Artemis recognized the bottle in his paw and started to back away.

"No! I'm not taking any more of that stuff! You shrunk me and unless a second gulp of that will make me big again, back off!"

"Don't be stupid, Alice. You can't hear Absolum at this size because your human ears are too small, not to mention ugly. Who ever heard of round and hairless ears? Now quit fussing and drink up!" The rabbit was quicker than Artemis and nagged a hold of her, pouring more of the liquid down her throat. The same feelings went through her body as the world around her got progressively bigger. By the time she stopped shrinking, she was smaller than the smoking mushroom, but she finally noticed that it wasn't the mushroom smoking; it was the blue caterpillar lounging on the mushroom smoking hookah. Artemis sighed; this place was getting odder by the second. The caterpillar turned its beady eyes to her and inhaled smoke.

"Wh_o_ a_r_e yo_u_?" He exhaled, a cloud of smoke hitting Artemis in the face. She coughed and waved the smoke away.

"My name is Artemis," she started. The caterpillar snorted rudely.

"I didn't ask for your _name_, silly girl. I asked wh_o_ a_re_ yo_u_."

"Doesn't that mean the same thing?" Artemis sighed. The caterpillar took another breath of the smoking hookah and exhaled it into her face again.

"You are who you are nothing more nothing less. Who are you?" He loomed closer to her so they were nearly face to face. He took a breath and blew the smoke out. Artemis coughed and waved it aside.

"Will you stop that?"

"I cannot stop being Absolum for I _am_ Absolum and there must always be Absolum. Just like there must always be a Hatter no matter whom he is for he _is_ the Hatter and since there is a Hatter there is an Alice." He inhaled and exhaled, adding more smoke to the air. "But no once can be told who they _are_ so I _suggest_ you eat the mushroom."

"Say what?" Artemis furrowed her brow. She desperately wished Wally was here beside her. He may not believe in magic, but he would have given her some sort of scientific explanation that was much more absurd then a hookah smoking caterpillar, a cat that could disconnect his head, and a white rabbit in a waist coat. Absolum looked down at her.

"To grow, you must eat the mushroom."

Artemis stifled a sigh and took the mushroom piece from one of his legs, suppressing a grossed-out shiver, if he noticed, he didn't say anything. She took a small nibble and felt the opposite feeling shoot through her. Instead of cold, it was a heat that shot through her. She stopped growing about an inch over the rabbit.

"That'll have to do." He muttered. "Come now. Off we go. He's waiting still."

"Is 'he' the Hatter?" Artemis inquired, pleased with her new ability to keep up with the rabbit without having to run. The rabbit tossed her a look, but said nothing. The blonde frowned at his silence. They continued on in silence for a little while when two round figures tumbled in front of them. They were pushing and shoving, not paying attention. The rabbit sighed.

"Tweedle-Dee and Tweedle-Dum! This is no moment to be frolicking about. There is no time to lose!" The two Tweedle's hopped to attention, saluting the rabbit firmly. Artemis felt the corners of her mouth twitch and she pressed her fingers to her lips to stop the laugh bubbling in her throat. One of the boys slanted his startling blue eyes her way and nudged his brother with his pudgy elbow excitedly.

"Look, Dee, look! Could it be -?"

"No, no it couldn't. She hardly seems like –"

"But she _could_ be, couldn't she? He did say –"

"He said lots of things, Dum, but he used the word –"

"Yes, but he could be wrong –"

"He is never wrong –"

"But he is mad, Dee, so he can –"

"This is – "

"Oh, Dee, you're right of course –"

"We're all mad – "

"Always." Both boys looked to each other once and gave a nod. The rabbit was once again tapping his foot impatiently, and Artemis let herself laugh out loud. The boys watched her, blank faced.

"You know, Dum, maybe you are right."

"Mhm, almost her, isn't she."

Artemis doubled over, clutching her stomach, tears running from her eyes. A little voice that sounded an awful lot like the Cheshire Cat, told her that hysterical laughter over nothing was the second step to insanity, and Artemis allowed herself to just not care. She'd lost so much already, what harm was there in losing a little more?

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	4. Hatter and Breezes

**Hehe, so I have finals coming up so things might get a little slow, but it will get uploaded :)**

**Disclaimer - see chapter one**

**Enjoy :)**

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If there was one rule that Artemis was getting sick of hearing it was this:

"There must _always_ be a Hatter. He can be tall and round, short and thin, there must _always _be a Hatter. He can be any colour that you wish, but there must _always be a Hatter_."

This was all the White Rabbit would say if he bothered to answer her questions at all and Artemis didn't even try asking questions of the Tweedles. They had a habit of not allowing each other to finish their sentences and they spoke in riddles. Artemis learned the hard way…

"What is this place?" She had asked.

"What is-!"

"Well, of all mad things - !"

"You're Alice and Alice always - !"

"It's a place of all wonders - !"

" – wonders of all place!"

And then both boys had proceeded to stare at her waiting for her to acknowledge the sense they believed to have made, before waddling their round bodies up the path happily.

The blonde hero sighed and pulled at the tight fabric of her uniform, for once wishing she had listened to Zantanna and used shorts instead of pants. The heat was getting to her and she had already lowered the zipper down to her waist. Just as she was pulling her blonde hair off the nape of her sweaty neck, a cooling breeze blew, instantly cooling her down.

"Oh that feels good," she breathed, her eyes slowly closing. She was jerked out of her reverie when she bumped harshly into something furry. The rabbit and both boys were staring at her in awe.

"She is starting to –"

"Just one thing doesn't –"

"She couldn't have done it if she wasn't –"

"I'm not saying she isn't, I'm saying a breeze means nothing in –"

While the boys spoke in the way they did, Artemis had a staring contest with the White Rabbit who was so still Artemis was afraid his heart had stopped. All of a sudden he blinked and his little pink nose quivered.

"Yes," he mumbled, turning away from her and starting up the march again. "This is the Alice he wants…she can save him…"

Artemis followed, puzzled by his odd behaviour…not that the whole situation wasn't odd…he was a talking rabbit in a waist coat! But still, it was odder than he had been acting earlier. This was a truly mad place if a conveniently timed little breeze had its inhabitants muttering about her being Alice… and just when she had gotten the boys to stop calling her Alice, too. Artemis was staring at the white rabbit, when from behind her, the two Tweedles rushed forward, shouting gleefully.

"Hatter!"

"Look it here – "

"We've got her!"

"No, Dum, Mr. Rabbit's got her –"

"It's _Alice_ –"

The rabbit sighed as they ran up to a long, narrow table covered with a white table cloth that had seen better days. The table was covered in cakes and cookies, tea cups and mismatching plates, and kettles upon kettles of tea. Hopping and twitching at one side was a ragged looking hare and at the other, calmly sipping his tea was the Cheshire Cat who, upon noting her arrival, gave a rather toothy grin, before calling out to a form vibrating so fast, Artemis couldn't make out what (let alone who) it was.

"Hatter! She is here."

The form made its way over to her in a flick of the Cats' tail. Artemis reached out and touched the vibrating figure tentatively. Almost immediately, the figure began to stop vibrating and became a solid form. A solid human form with emerald green eyes that made her heart pound so hard it hurt. His name she had cried in her sleep and his name she breathed now.

"_Wally…"_

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